John Mayer makes his musical move



JOHN Mayer had us waiting long enough.

His first album following a three-year hiatus, “The Search for Everything” reacquaints Mayer fans with the singer-songwriter’s soft rock roots as well as his much-missed playful and bluesy melodies.

The album’s first wave, with “Moving On and Getting Over,” “Changing,” “Love on the Weekend” and “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me,” isn’t just about rekindling his romantic down-tempos. Instead, it expands Mayer’s vintage sound with apparent influences from the country, acoustic, jazz and funk genres adding up to a spectacular comeback.
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Diary of an ‘ukay’ virgin


CLOTHES for only P150 a piece? I’m never shopping retail again.

For expert thrift shoppers, a P150 price tag is already too much. But for someone who got her entire wardrobe from the mall, the ukay-ukay is enlightening—that is, after you get overwhelmed with the variety of clothes right in front of you.

But I knew my first thrift shopping experience wouldn’t be a bust, especially when I had the ultimate ukay junkie Shaira Luna with me to get me through the basics.
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‘Unfortunate Events’ leaps from page to screen


REVERSE psychology never fails, and this is proven matter-of-factly by Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

The constant requests for its audience to “look away”—or stream a different series altogether—as they narrate the miserable lives of the Baudelaire orphans simply fall on deaf ears, and the new release’s eight episodes are consumed on a whim.

One would have to survive the drastically dragging theatrics of most of the characters in the adaptation of the first book, “The Bad Beginning,” before one gets hooked to the series. The acting at the start presented itself more apt for a live theatrical performance than one on streamed media.


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Bringing the unfortunate events of our childhood back to life



IF THERE was anything I’ve done as sinister as Count Olaf’s schemes, it was hiding sequels of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” in the most unvisited parts of the library, burying the most borrowed books behind atlases, encyclopedias and other research references.
This was back in 2004, when library cards were still a thing and being on the frequent borrower’s list meant you were a cool kid. Foreign titles by Lemony Snicket and J.K. Rowling were also hard to come by because they were always sold out in bookstores.
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Pokemon Center Tokyo: Every Pokemon fan's haven




SUNSHINE CITY, TOKYO—The name sounds like one of the towns you could find on your PokeNav, where the rest of your Pokemon journey awaits. Sunshine City, in the heart of Ikebukuro, Tokyo, houses the largest Pokemon Center in Japan.
Entering a Pokemon Center isn’t really how you wish it was—something similar to the Nintendo games.
There are neither Chanseys waiting on the counter to collect your Pokeballs to heal your Pokemon from battles, nor computers where you can store or trade Pokemon that you caught. It’s more like a PokeMart that takes care of (almost) all your needs as a Pokemon freak.
Since two generations have grown up with Pokemon, it’s no surprise that Sunshine City draws an average of a thousand visitors every day.


Just hearing the Pokemon Center song—or the same music that your Nintendo blasts when you go to a Pokemon Center in whatever game version you’re playing—is enough to get you overexcited even if you are still a few shops away.
The catchy tune has a surreal feeling, and you don’t have to be shy to hum along to it—everyone else does.
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I played Pokemon Go in Tokyo


TOKYO, JAPAN—The week “Pokemon Go” was launched in the country last August, I was all geared up to chase Pikachus during the annual Pokemon summer festival in Yokohama, Japan.

It is a monthlong celebration with Pikachu mascots running around the city every Sunday. Each year, the Pikachu Outbreak has a theme. For 2016, it was “Splash,” a refreshing idea under the 40-degree Tokyo weather.

 The idea of “authentic” Pokemon hunting in the bustling city of Tokyo was a thrill, and the virtual reality game was the best travel buddy you could ask for. The app was on whenever we waited in line in restaurants and as we went around the city so we could clock in some kilometers on our egg incubators.

With a newly downloaded app and a tourist mode on, we easily earned experience enough to level up as much as 11 stages during our 5-day trip.

We easily caught a Pikachu in Shibuya on our first day, saw a Squirtle while we were trying to claw Eevee stuffed toys out of a machine in Ikebukuro, lured a Magnemite as we crazed over gachapons, and finally hatched a 10-kilometer Vulpix egg when we reached the Tower.

Here are some of the Pokemon I caught, taken in @girleatworld style:
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The grub up north: Commonwealth StrEAT Part II



Visiting a food park once will never be enough, there are a handful of stalls to try and a mouthful of tastes to discover. Cake and I visited Commonwealth StrEAT thrice, and on our last visit we decided to cap our food adventure with (goblets of) margarita.

   OZAWA   
Budget: P140-P165


Their Noritako is a different take on your usual sushi roll. A crispy, wafer-thin taco shell is followed by nori and sushi rice, topped with a choice of crunchy karaage (chicken) or beef tenderloin steak, julienned carrots and drizzled with Japanese mayo.
Don’t bother using the chopsticks that came with it. Instead, put your hands to good use. Its generous meat and chewy Japanese rice will more than make up for the messiness. Make sure you wash it down with their raspberry iced tea slush that’s big enough to share.

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The grub up north: Commonwealth StrEAT Part I


People of the North rejoice! 

 The foodie hotspots keep shifting on Metro Manila’s map, and they finally found their way to the open, empty spaces of Quezon City’s Fairview (or Far-view, as most people call it).

 Back then, the foodie capital was Kapitolyo in Pasig, until residential Maginhawa Street in Quezon City evolved into a gastronomic strip offering international flavors.

 Fairview was among the more suburban parts of the largest metro city that had long been cut off from the more cosmopolitan and innovative taste bud offerings. But now, a single jeep ride is all it takes for its residents (and other QC folk) to become instant gourmands (or food coma victims).

 StrEAT of the Maginhawa food park fame has set up another branch along the North Fairview end of Commonwealth Avenue.

 Although it’s under the same brand, Commonwealth StrEAT boasts a different set of food stalls and trucks from its Maginhawa counterpart. There are some familiar treats, but most are unique finds that you can find only at this far-off food spot.

   OFF DUTY   
Budget: P100-P160



The Mexi-grill has the perfect appetizers if you’re feeling less adventurous on your trip to StrEAT. Their regular nachos are topped with ground beef, sour cream and salsa (which tastes kind of like fancy ketchup). The quesadilla isn’t as thick as we would’ve wanted, but is still a bang for the buck with its stringy cheese and flavorful meat.

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Hanging out at Naxional



“X” marks the spot, the spot being in Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City where you can get some really good grub.

For South American diner Naxional, “X” also represents 10 of the continent’s nations, introducing a wide range of comfort food developed straight from home cooking recipes of Latina mothers.

With the Philippines’ undeniable Hispanic roots, most South American dishes may come off as familiar, but there are a huge number of dishes with festive flavors that remain uncharted—and yet easily welcomed—by the Filipino palate.
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#DisneyBeat: Talking to Elena of Avalor

Aimee Carrero as the voice of Princess Elena
AFTER about 10 minutes of trying to figure out how international conference calls work, I accepted defeat and decided to have a phone operator intervene.

Our landline at home rang, and rang again.

And echoing how Belle sounded when she first entered the Beast's castle, I let out a few hellos, waiting for silence at the other end of the line to be interrupted.

With a bit of a delay, a cheery voice finally greeted back. It was Aimee Carrero, the woman behind the voice of Princess Elena, the lead of Disney's newest animated TV series.

"I think it may giving myself a bit of a compliment, but I think I give her (Elena) a bit of personality," Aimee tells me.

"I think that some of Elena’s silliness comes from my personality and luckily the creators of our show have been very responsive to humor and comedy and try to write it in whenever they can and whenever it’s appropriate," she adds.

 The 5-second delay between our responses turned out to be quite an advantage as I processed the same thought during the entire 15-minute interview: Damn, I'm talking to a real Disney princess! On the phone.
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Under the spell of Doctor Strange






TO DESCRIBE “Doctor Strange” as otherworldly is both a cliche and understatement. 

 It introduces a new breed of superhero to Marvel’s cinematic arsenal, one that is not characterized by metal weaponry or spandex suits. It has begun redefining what a superhero is, and even more so, what a superhero can do, in the context of the Avengers.
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Alesso made me lose my mind




WHEN Alesso was announced as one of the international headliners of the Ultra Music Festival Philippines, I told myself there was no way I’m missing the Swedish DJ spin live.

And Sebastian Ingrosso’s protege didn’t disappoint, there was definitely no sitting down during his set in the Manila leg of the Ultra Worldwide Tour in Mall of Asia Arena on Sept. 17.

Alesso knew exactly what he was doing—the crowd never dancing long enough to a certain beat, shuffling distinct tracks that transform into one smooth eargasm.

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How Pikachu gave me a happy childhood



MOST kids who grew up in the 1990s would say Pokémon was their childhood. When I was six, Pikachu was my best friend.
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Tables turned when I met Jason Palmer

Photo by Jilson Seckler Tiu
JASON Palmer—if that name rings a bell, it’s because it should.

The illustrator, who was one of the comic artists who headlined the recent AsiaPOP Comicon, is best known for working with Marvel, “The Walking Dead,” “Doctor Who,” “Once Upon A Time,” and “Star Wars,” among many others.

It’s highly possible you’ve seen his works online because they are so damn good that they’re bound to be shared on your feeds.

He has perfected his personal style, enough for you to recognize a Jason Palmer artwork when you see one. 

He maintains the visible strokes of traditional art, and the way he draws each character is reminiscent to how vintage portraits were done in old school studios before photography was introduced.
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Lunch at Flame Restaurant



IT WAS a meal made for champs.

We were served with a 7-course lunch, a taste of what Discovery Primea's Flame Restaurant will be serving for the quick, on-the-go (and personally, what I think is the most important) part of the day.

"Not everyone has time to linger over lunch," general manager David de Ayala said. "So we have a quicker cooking time and somewhat more relaxed menu entries for lunch."
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